(a) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a system for mounting pocket doors. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a system that allows quick mounting and removal of a pocket door from its tracks without requiring the removal of trim pieces around the pocket door assembly.
(b) Discussion of Known Art
Pocket doors, that is doors that supported from a horizontal overhead rail that allows concealment of the door into an adjacent wall, have been used for over a century. The space saving advantages of these doors have long been understood, but their popularity has fallen short of expectations. One significant reason for the underutilization of these doors is that the doors are difficult to replace when damaged. The source of these difficulties is that the most of the mechanism for supporting the door is concealed within a wall. Frequently, removing the door for repair or replacement requires destruction of the wall and associated trim, and thus the cost of repairing a damaged door or mechanism often exceeds the value of the whole assemby.
An example of a known device for mounting a moveable door, such as a pocket door, is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,171 to Pelletier et al. The Pelletier et al. device uses a bracket that accepts a locking member or stud that cooperates with a pivoting release lever that engages the locking member, trapping it against the bracket. An important aspect of this type of device is that it may be used to mount pocket doors or other doors that are mounted along an overhead track. A significant disadvantage of the system disclosed by Pelletier et al., as well as other known systems, is that release or removal of the door from the supports requires access to each of the locking members. In the case of a pocket door this access is available only in the situation where the wheels, carriage, or portion of the door that fails is exposed, which if properly trimmed is typically not the case.
A typical failure of mechanisms that support pocket doors is the failure of the bearings or wheels that are used to support the door from the overhead track. Failure of these bearings or wheels can make the door difficult if not impossible to move along the overhead track without damaging the door or other components of the system. Thus, if a component fails while the door is inserted into the “pocket” within the wall, it may be impossible to pull the door back out without damaging other components of the system or the wall around the door.
Therefore, a review of known devices reveals that there remains a need for a simple device that supports a pocket door, and allows removal and installation of the entire door from outside the “pocket” or recess that houses the door, without removing the trim that surrounds the door.
There remains a need for a system that allows the removal and installation of the pocket door without having to remove the surrounding trim or wall structure.
There remains a need for a cost effective easily serviceable system for supporting a movable door along an overhead track.
There remains a need for a pocket door support system that can be easily modified in the field and that allows easy installation and removal of the pocket door from the tracks that support the door.